BY JONATHAN BORCHERT | The Statesman The Comic book movie genre has been fairly tame since its kickstart with 2008’s "Iron Man." "Deadpool" is here to change that.
"Deadpool" has been catching the attention of many moviegoers since its opening on Valentine’s Day weekend.
The movie is an adaptation of the fan favorite anti-hero Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson, that was created by artist/writer Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza. The character first appeared in “The New Mutants #98” comic in February 1991.
"Deadpool" is about a mercenary named Wade Wilson (played by Ryan Reynolds) who is diagnosed with cancer. In order to save himself, Wade is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and a horribly disfigured face. After adopting the alter ego Deadpool, the “merc with a mouth” seeks to hunt down the man responsible for ruining his life.
What separates Deadpool from the rest of the Marvel characters is his unique way of breaking the fourth wall.
From Deadpool’s very origins in the comics, he knows that he is in a comic book. Deadpool is able to break the fourth wall and interact directly with the reader. The same concept is applied to the movie. When Deadpool is on screen he knows that he is in a movie and acts accordingly.
This is the first time this has been done to such a degree.
Similar to the Punisher, Deadpool is vulgar, disturbed and violent. With that, Deadpool’s humor is one of his strongest selling points. It’s not just the fact that he kills thugs and criminals, but that he jokes around and fires just as many quips at them as he does bullets.
To maintain the spirit of the character, the Deadpool movie has been given an “R” rating. Deadpool isn’t a comic book movie for kids.
This has been the subject of much controversy. Superhero movies are generally seen as fun for the whole family, but "Deadpool" couldn’t be further from that. This is a well done “R” rated comic book movie for adults.
The movie is making a very loud statement about the success of R-rated comic book movies. According to Forbes magazine, "Deadpool" has had the biggest R-rated opening weekend of all-time at $132.7 million dollars.
"Deadpool" is a dirty fun time that is a must see for fans and a new jump forward in the comic book movie genre.